Relevant Tones

Ever since its creation by Haydn in the 18th century, the string  quartet has been one of the preeminent vehicles for more musical  innovation. This show features new directions for the string quartet,   pairing the quartet with unusual other instruments like frame drum, alto  flute and more.

William Kraft: Music for String Quartet and Percussion, III: The Winds of Evanescence

Romano Crivici: Flat Earth for didgeridoo and string quartet (excerpt)

Mason Bates: Bagatelles, I- Rough Math

Franghiz Ali-Zadeh: Apsheron Quartet, II- Reverse Time

Osvaldo Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, IV

Terry Riley: The Cusp of Magic- Buddha’s Bedroom

Diego Schissi: Liquido

Scriabin so linked color to his music that he created a “light organ”  to display colors that corresponded to different notes in his pieces.   How does color and visual art affect composers and their music today?

Michael Torke: Bright Blue Music for Orchestra

Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel

Jennifer Higdon: Short Stories for Saxophone Quartet, I & V

Dan Welcher: Light Coming on the Plains & Starlight Night from Prairie Light: 3

Gunther Schuller: The Twittering Machine fr. Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee

Cindy McTee: Twittering Machine

Stephen Hartke: King of the Sun, I & IV

He played with Miles Davis, was principal horn of the Cleveland  Symphony at age 18, is the co-creator of the “third stream” movement and   so much more. Seth talks with Schuller about his incredible life and legacy in music.

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Gunther Schuller: Conversations

Schuller: Of Reminisces and Reflections

Schuller: Abstraction

Schuller: String Quartet No. 3, III

Schuller: Little Blue Devil from Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee

We invite some of our favorite musical friends to bring a new   recording into the studio for listening, lively discussion and the joy   of new discoveries.

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Max Grafe: “Bantams in Pine-wood” fr. Three Madrigals

Michael Gordon: Industry

Peter Ablinger: Drei Minuten für Orchester

Peter Ablinger: Angela Davis

Amanda Feery: Squarepushers

Jan Sandström: Acintyas

One of the world’s largest cities and a mecca for diverse art and  culture, Mexico City is also the home of a fascinating array of creative   musicians and composers. Part 1 of a two-part series will feature  interviews and music from the city’s musical leaders.

Ana Lara: Y Los Oros, La Luz (excerpt)

Ana Lara: Concierto para Corno di Bassetto, II + III (excerpt)

Georgina Derbez: Double Concerto for Orchestra, Piano and Flute

Jorge Torres Sáenz: Órbitas

Rosino Serrano: Adam & Eve film score (excerpt)

Federico Ibarra: String Quartet No. 2, Prestoo

Chicago’s Lincoln Trio performs two large scale works, one a  premiere, live on Relevant Tones from the stage of the Merit School of  Music in the West Loop.

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Laura Schwendinger: Arc of Fire (World Premiere)

Stacy Garrop: Sanctuary

Called one of the best drummers of all time by Gigwise  magazine, Kotche is also a talented and multi-faceted composer who has  worked with powerhouse groups like eighth blackbird, So Percussion and  Kronos Quartet.

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Kotche: Anomaly, II, III, IV, V, VII

The story of the Nativity, infused by John Adams and Peter Sellars  with texts new and old celebrating the miracle of birth and renewal.

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Adams: El Niño (excerpts)

With roots in jazz, classical and sacred music, rhythmic influences  derived from travels in six continents, and a combustible spontaneity,  cellist Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter Consort), pianist and master  harmonica player Howard Levy (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Kenny  Loggins, Paquito d’Rivera), and percussionist Glen Velez (Paul Winter  Consort, Steve Reich) epitomize the quintessential group for the 21st  century.

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Street Corner (E. Freisen)

With groups like PLOrk and Benoit and the Mandelbrots leading the  way, the laptop ensemble is becoming a force to be reckoned with.  We’ll  feature laptop ensembles improvising,  playing composed music, live  coding and even collaborating with an orchestra.  Listen and believe!

Hosted by Seth Boustead

Benoit and the Mandelbrots – Ghostly